If you watched "Oppenheimer" this summer and found yourself wondering if Cillian Murphy really puffed on all those cigarettes while playing theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that they were probably herbal cigarettes. The bad news is this isn't the first time Murphy has played a heavy smoker, and "Peaky Blinders" crew members estimate that the show's fake cigarette tally is a five-digit number by now.
Back in 2019, Murphy spoke to Birmingham Live about his character Tommy Shelby's prolific smoking habit, revealing that he once asked the prop department how many fake cigs the cast runs through per season. "I asked the prop guys to count how many we use during a series and it's 3,000," he told the outlet. With six seasons of the show now wrapped, assuming they kept a steady pace, that brings the total cigarette tally...
Back in 2019, Murphy spoke to Birmingham Live about his character Tommy Shelby's prolific smoking habit, revealing that he once asked the prop department how many fake cigs the cast runs through per season. "I asked the prop guys to count how many we use during a series and it's 3,000," he told the outlet. With six seasons of the show now wrapped, assuming they kept a steady pace, that brings the total cigarette tally...
- 8/19/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This month marks 50 years since Bruce Lee’s sudden death at the age of 32, and likewise the semicentennial anniversary of his highest-profile feature, Enter the Dragon. Released by Warner Bros. on Aug. 17, 1973, director Robert Clouse’s action film stars Lee as a Shaolin monk recruited by British intelligence to compete in a martial arts tournament and track down a crime boss named Han (Shih Kien). The stakes are raised when Lee learns that the man who killed his sister is working as a bodyguard for Han.
Before Enter the Dragon, Lee was known for playing Kato on the 1960s ABC series The Green Hornet and Batman, and for starring in several kung fu films in the early 1970s, including The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972). But it was Dragon — his second Hollywood movie after a small role in 1969’s James Garner-led Marlowe — that became his signature title and made him a global icon.
Before Enter the Dragon, Lee was known for playing Kato on the 1960s ABC series The Green Hornet and Batman, and for starring in several kung fu films in the early 1970s, including The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972). But it was Dragon — his second Hollywood movie after a small role in 1969’s James Garner-led Marlowe — that became his signature title and made him a global icon.
- 8/17/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The next book we’ll be seeing from Stephen King is Holly, which is set to reach store shelves on September 5th (you can pre-order a copy Here) and centers on the Holly Gibney character that King has previously written about in the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, The Outsider, and the If It Bleeds story contained in the short story collection of the same name. Now, during an interview with the Talking Scared podcast, King has revealed three more projects that he’s working on or thinking about working on: another short story collection, another Holly Gibney story, and possibly a third book in the Talisman series he started with the late Peter Straub.
King told Talking Scared (with thanks to The Guardian for the transcription) that the short story collection is called You Like It Darker and is expected to be published sometime in 2024. The book has a page count...
King told Talking Scared (with thanks to The Guardian for the transcription) that the short story collection is called You Like It Darker and is expected to be published sometime in 2024. The book has a page count...
- 8/17/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The greatest tragedy of Bruce Lee’s all too short life was that he didn’t live to see the premiere of Enter the Dragon. Lee died on July 20, 1973. Enter the Dragon was released six days later.
Four years prior, Lee made a vow to himself that he titled “My Definite Chief Aim.” Handwritten in cursive with his characteristic flair, he wrote “I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor.” Throughout his career in Hollywood, Lee struggled to make his way, fighting against prejudice and exclusion at every step, in hopes of reaching his goal. And yet he never lived to see the breakthrough success of his masterpiece.
Enter the Dragon was the 13th highest grossing film in North America in 1973, but it...
Four years prior, Lee made a vow to himself that he titled “My Definite Chief Aim.” Handwritten in cursive with his characteristic flair, he wrote “I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor.” Throughout his career in Hollywood, Lee struggled to make his way, fighting against prejudice and exclusion at every step, in hopes of reaching his goal. And yet he never lived to see the breakthrough success of his masterpiece.
Enter the Dragon was the 13th highest grossing film in North America in 1973, but it...
- 8/17/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
British talk show host legend Michael Parkinson has died at age 88, the BBC said Thursday. He interviewed some of the world’s biggest stars, including Muhammad Ali, Elton John, Madonna and Helen Mirren, on his long-running chat show.
Parkinson famously also graced the cover of the 1973 Paul McCartney and Wings album Band on the Run, along with the band and such other celebrities as actors James Coburn and Christopher Lee.
“After a brief illness, Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family,” the BBC said. “The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”
The Guardian once called Parkinson “the great British talkshow host”
The first Parkinson show launched on BBC television in 1971 with American jazz singer Marion Montgomery as his first guest to begin an 11-year run. He and his show returned to the U.K. public broadcaster...
Parkinson famously also graced the cover of the 1973 Paul McCartney and Wings album Band on the Run, along with the band and such other celebrities as actors James Coburn and Christopher Lee.
“After a brief illness, Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family,” the BBC said. “The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”
The Guardian once called Parkinson “the great British talkshow host”
The first Parkinson show launched on BBC television in 1971 with American jazz singer Marion Montgomery as his first guest to begin an 11-year run. He and his show returned to the U.K. public broadcaster...
- 8/17/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Los Angeles, Aug 17 (Ians) Singer Lily Allen reveals her dad called police on her after she lost her virginity aged 12.
The mum-of-two ‘Smile’ singer, 38, who has been hitched to ‘Stranger Things’ actor David Harbour, 48, since 2020, first had sex when on holiday with her ‘Trainspotting’ star dad Keith Allen, 69, and younger brother Alfie, 36, famed for his role in ‘Game of Thrones’, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“I actually went missing. I lost my virginity to a guy called Fernando in Brazil. When I was about 12, no I am joking,” she told comedian Alan Carr, 47, on his ‘Life’s a Beach’ podcast about how her father thought she had gone missing when she was really having sex with a man she was having a secret summer fling with.
“They thought I actually went missing. I went to his hotel room, and I was on holiday with my dad and brother, and obviously didn’t come back to my room.
The mum-of-two ‘Smile’ singer, 38, who has been hitched to ‘Stranger Things’ actor David Harbour, 48, since 2020, first had sex when on holiday with her ‘Trainspotting’ star dad Keith Allen, 69, and younger brother Alfie, 36, famed for his role in ‘Game of Thrones’, reports aceshowbiz.com.
“I actually went missing. I lost my virginity to a guy called Fernando in Brazil. When I was about 12, no I am joking,” she told comedian Alan Carr, 47, on his ‘Life’s a Beach’ podcast about how her father thought she had gone missing when she was really having sex with a man she was having a secret summer fling with.
“They thought I actually went missing. I went to his hotel room, and I was on holiday with my dad and brother, and obviously didn’t come back to my room.
- 8/17/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Tl;Dr:
The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” wasn’t as big in the United Kingdom as a 1970s cover of the tune. The cover was a top 10 single. The singer behind the cover revealed his thoughts on the song and other classics from The Beatles.
The Beatles‘ “Here Comes the Sun” is a famous song but it wasn’t one of the Fab Four’s biggest hits. Subsequently, a cover of the track became a big hit in the United Kingdom. The singer behind the cover seemed to prefer Bob Dylan to The Beatles.
The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’ was barely a hit single in the United Kingdom
The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” was a modest hit in the U.K. The Official Charts Company reports the tune peaked at No. 58 there and stayed on the chart for four weeks. The tune’s parent album was 1969’s Abbey Road.
The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” wasn’t as big in the United Kingdom as a 1970s cover of the tune. The cover was a top 10 single. The singer behind the cover revealed his thoughts on the song and other classics from The Beatles.
The Beatles‘ “Here Comes the Sun” is a famous song but it wasn’t one of the Fab Four’s biggest hits. Subsequently, a cover of the track became a big hit in the United Kingdom. The singer behind the cover seemed to prefer Bob Dylan to The Beatles.
The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes the Sun’ was barely a hit single in the United Kingdom
The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” was a modest hit in the U.K. The Official Charts Company reports the tune peaked at No. 58 there and stayed on the chart for four weeks. The tune’s parent album was 1969’s Abbey Road.
- 8/16/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Talking Heads’ David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, and Jerry Harrison will reunite for a live Q&a celebrating the 40th anniversary of their legendary concert film, Stop Making Sense. It marks their first public appearance together in more than 20 years.
Moderated by filmmaker Spike Lee, the Q&a will take place at the Toronto International Film Festival following a screening of Stop Making Sense on Monday, September 11th. The event will broadcast live in select IMAX theaters around the world
Following its premiere at TIFF, the 4K restoration of Stop Making Sense will be released in theaters worldwide on September 22nd.
Accompanying the film will be a new deluxe edition of its soundtrack, due out on August 18th via Rhino Records. The expanded set includes the film’s full setlist as well as two previously unreleased songs, plus new liner notes from all four band members. Pre-orders are ongoing.
Moderated by filmmaker Spike Lee, the Q&a will take place at the Toronto International Film Festival following a screening of Stop Making Sense on Monday, September 11th. The event will broadcast live in select IMAX theaters around the world
Following its premiere at TIFF, the 4K restoration of Stop Making Sense will be released in theaters worldwide on September 22nd.
Accompanying the film will be a new deluxe edition of its soundtrack, due out on August 18th via Rhino Records. The expanded set includes the film’s full setlist as well as two previously unreleased songs, plus new liner notes from all four band members. Pre-orders are ongoing.
- 8/16/2023
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
Actor Ethan Hawke became a film star after having done films like Dead Poets Society and Training Day. But overtime, Hawke began to notice a pattern among contemporary film stars that he wanted to take a break from.
Ethan Hawke once explained what it took to be a movie star Ethan Hakwe | Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Hawke’s filmography isn’t brimming with box-office hits like some of his contemporaries. Looking back on the actor’s work, even his successful films seem to focus less on spectacle and more on character work. This was designed by the actor earlier on in his career, who confided that he didn’t want to necessarily be a movie star. This was partially due to the Gattaca star‘s upbringing.
“I grew up in a household where there was such anger and resentment towards anyone who had any money, that I never really had...
Ethan Hawke once explained what it took to be a movie star Ethan Hakwe | Mike Coppola/Getty Images
Hawke’s filmography isn’t brimming with box-office hits like some of his contemporaries. Looking back on the actor’s work, even his successful films seem to focus less on spectacle and more on character work. This was designed by the actor earlier on in his career, who confided that he didn’t want to necessarily be a movie star. This was partially due to the Gattaca star‘s upbringing.
“I grew up in a household where there was such anger and resentment towards anyone who had any money, that I never really had...
- 8/16/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Andy Murray is currently away from the sport, nursing a tear in his abdomen, but he's confident about his level when he does compete on the Atp Tour.
Comparatively speaking, Andy Murray is having a much better season this year than last year. You don't have to analyse too much to understand that, as a simple win/loss record proves that. He won 30 matches last year, while his current win total stands at 29 already. It's pretty safe to assume, health permitting, that he will eclipse that number.
We've seen him produce signature comebacks like the one against Thanasi Kokkinakis in Melbourne . We've seen him lift multiple trophies , even if they are challenger trophies. We've seen him play some of the best tennis since the surgery, and it's all because of him giving it his all.
He won't reach the level he had a decade ago, but how could he with a metal hip?...
Comparatively speaking, Andy Murray is having a much better season this year than last year. You don't have to analyse too much to understand that, as a simple win/loss record proves that. He won 30 matches last year, while his current win total stands at 29 already. It's pretty safe to assume, health permitting, that he will eclipse that number.
We've seen him produce signature comebacks like the one against Thanasi Kokkinakis in Melbourne . We've seen him lift multiple trophies , even if they are challenger trophies. We've seen him play some of the best tennis since the surgery, and it's all because of him giving it his all.
He won't reach the level he had a decade ago, but how could he with a metal hip?...
- 8/16/2023
- Tennis-Infinity
Michael Imperioli is opening about his time on The Sopranos and the scenes he found the most difficult to film.
The White Lotus actor said that the scenes where he was seen being physically abusive to Drea de Matteo’s Adriana La Cerva were challenging as opposed to scenes where he was shooting a mobster.
“It’s much easier shooting a mobster or shooting heroin,” Imperioli told The Guardian. “That stuff to me is not difficult. That stuff to me is not difficult. But that stuff with her was.”
Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti throughout the six seasons of the HBO drama series. Christopher had a tumultuous and abusive relationship with Adriana which involved filming brutal scenes.
“The most brutal, difficult stuff for me is when Christopher had to be physically abusive with Adriana, for obvious reasons,” the actor explained. “On a technical level, you’re trying to be really careful...
The White Lotus actor said that the scenes where he was seen being physically abusive to Drea de Matteo’s Adriana La Cerva were challenging as opposed to scenes where he was shooting a mobster.
“It’s much easier shooting a mobster or shooting heroin,” Imperioli told The Guardian. “That stuff to me is not difficult. That stuff to me is not difficult. But that stuff with her was.”
Imperioli played Christopher Moltisanti throughout the six seasons of the HBO drama series. Christopher had a tumultuous and abusive relationship with Adriana which involved filming brutal scenes.
“The most brutal, difficult stuff for me is when Christopher had to be physically abusive with Adriana, for obvious reasons,” the actor explained. “On a technical level, you’re trying to be really careful...
- 8/15/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
John Lennon was the first Beatle to have both a wife and a child. He married Cynthia Lennon just before the explosion of Beatlemania because they discovered she was pregnant. He wanted to keep their relationship private, but news of their nuptials leaked. The press quickly gave Cynthia and the couple’s son, Julian, nicknames, much to Lennon’s disgust.
John Lennon didn’t like the nickname the media gave his wife and child
Lennon and Cynthia married in 1962 after several years of dating. He didn’t have plans to propose to her, but they quietly tied the knot after learning about her pregnancy. He didn’t want people to know he was married, and Cynthia worked to keep her pregnancy under wraps.
John Lennon and Julian Lennon | Keystone Features/Getty Images
“If … the main man in the group, John, was found to be married, then it might take away from that particular success,...
John Lennon didn’t like the nickname the media gave his wife and child
Lennon and Cynthia married in 1962 after several years of dating. He didn’t have plans to propose to her, but they quietly tied the knot after learning about her pregnancy. He didn’t want people to know he was married, and Cynthia worked to keep her pregnancy under wraps.
John Lennon and Julian Lennon | Keystone Features/Getty Images
“If … the main man in the group, John, was found to be married, then it might take away from that particular success,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Michael Imperioli was recently asked by The Guardian to name the most brutal scene he’s ever had to film in his acting career, and his answer was any time his character on “The Sopranos,” Christopher Moltisanti, abused his fiancée, Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo).
“The most brutal, difficult stuff for me is when Christopher had to be physically abusive with Adriana, for obvious reasons,” Imperioli said. “On a technical level, you’re trying to be really careful so you don’t hurt the person. But having to get to that point of violence toward a woman, you have to go to some nasty places to get there. Sometimes it’s very immediate. Sometimes it’s something present in your life that you can tap into. Sometimes you have to go someplace from the past. And sometimes you have to go to someplace imaginary.”
“It’s much easier shooting a mobster or shooting heroin,...
“The most brutal, difficult stuff for me is when Christopher had to be physically abusive with Adriana, for obvious reasons,” Imperioli said. “On a technical level, you’re trying to be really careful so you don’t hurt the person. But having to get to that point of violence toward a woman, you have to go to some nasty places to get there. Sometimes it’s very immediate. Sometimes it’s something present in your life that you can tap into. Sometimes you have to go someplace from the past. And sometimes you have to go to someplace imaginary.”
“It’s much easier shooting a mobster or shooting heroin,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
There aren’t many blemishes on the ever-successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one of the biggest is 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. Among its most significant problems is its weak villain in the form of Malekith the Dark Elf, who suffers from being a paper-thin character with non-existent motivations. It turns out that it’s not just fans who dislike the character, either, as actor Christoper Eccleston has now revealed the extent of his hatred for his time in the Marvel universe in a very eye-opening interview.
While talking to The Guardian, the former Doctor Who star pulled no punches when pressed about his mixed experiences in Hollywood. Some of the movies that came up in conversation were 2000’s actioner Gone in 60 Seconds, 2009’s Hasbro toy-inspired G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra and the aforementioned Thor sequel. While Eccleston had positive things to say about the former, the...
While talking to The Guardian, the former Doctor Who star pulled no punches when pressed about his mixed experiences in Hollywood. Some of the movies that came up in conversation were 2000’s actioner Gone in 60 Seconds, 2009’s Hasbro toy-inspired G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra and the aforementioned Thor sequel. While Eccleston had positive things to say about the former, the...
- 3/12/2018
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Doctor Who fans have long wished that Christopher Eccleston stayed on as the Ninth Doctor for longer than the single season of 13 episodes that he did back in 2005. The actor has always been sketchy about exactly why he decided to leave, but evidence points to it being to do with a clash between him and some BBC execs. It turns out that the feud was so strong, in fact, that the decision to split from the show nearly cost Eccleston his career.
In an eye-opening interview with The Guardian, the actor claimed that the BBC “blacklisted” him after he angered the corporation by leaving them to find a replacement for him on Doctor Who. According to Eccleston, this precipitated his move to the Us to find alternate work.
“What happened around Doctor Who almost destroyed my career. I gave them a hit show and I left with dignity and then...
In an eye-opening interview with The Guardian, the actor claimed that the BBC “blacklisted” him after he angered the corporation by leaving them to find a replacement for him on Doctor Who. According to Eccleston, this precipitated his move to the Us to find alternate work.
“What happened around Doctor Who almost destroyed my career. I gave them a hit show and I left with dignity and then...
- 3/12/2018
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Caine is latest actor to turn his back on controversial filmmaker.
Michael Caine is the latest actor to turn their back on Woody Allen.
Caine, who won an Oscar for his performance in Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters in 1986, told The Guardian he wouldn’t work with the director again and was “stunned” when he heard about the allegations made against him.
“I’m a patron of the Nspcc and have very strong views about paedophilia,” he said. “I can’t come to terms with it, because I loved Woody and had a wonderful time with him. I even...
Michael Caine is the latest actor to turn their back on Woody Allen.
Caine, who won an Oscar for his performance in Allen’s Hannah And Her Sisters in 1986, told The Guardian he wouldn’t work with the director again and was “stunned” when he heard about the allegations made against him.
“I’m a patron of the Nspcc and have very strong views about paedophilia,” he said. “I can’t come to terms with it, because I loved Woody and had a wonderful time with him. I even...
- 3/12/2018
- by Orlando Parfitt
- ScreenDaily
Michael Caine joins a growing number of Woody Allen film alums who have publicly vowed to never work with the director again in light of the allegations leveled against him by daughter Dylan Farrow.
“I am so stunned,” actor Michael Caine — who won an Academy Award in 1987 for Allen’s film Hannah and Her Sisters — said during an interview with The Guardian.
He continued, “I’m a patron of the Nspcc [National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children] and have very strong views about pedophilia.”
The 84-year-old actor went on tell the Guardian that while he didn’t...
“I am so stunned,” actor Michael Caine — who won an Academy Award in 1987 for Allen’s film Hannah and Her Sisters — said during an interview with The Guardian.
He continued, “I’m a patron of the Nspcc [National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children] and have very strong views about pedophilia.”
The 84-year-old actor went on tell the Guardian that while he didn’t...
- 3/12/2018
- by Maria Pasquini
- PEOPLE.com
Actor Michael Caine, who won an Academy Award for his role in director Woody Allen’s film Hannah and Her Sisters, says he won’t work with the director again. Caine spoke out in a wide-ranging interview with the UK’s The Guardian. The 84-year-old actor is the narrator, co-producer and star of a new documentary film, My Generation, which details his remembrance of 1960s London. Recently-resurfaced molestation allegations against Allen by his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow…...
- 3/11/2018
- Deadline
Michael Caine doesn't regret working with Woody Allen in the past, but after Dylan Farrow's resurfaced sexual abuse allegations against her famous father, Caine says he would not work with Allen again in the future.
"I am so stunned," said the actor in a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian over the weekend when asked about Farrow's claims that Allen abused her when she was a child. "I’m a patron of the Nspcc [the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children] and have very strong views about pedophilia. I can’t come to terms with it, because I...
"I am so stunned," said the actor in a wide-ranging interview with The Guardian over the weekend when asked about Farrow's claims that Allen abused her when she was a child. "I’m a patron of the Nspcc [the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children] and have very strong views about pedophilia. I can’t come to terms with it, because I...
- 3/11/2018
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The British satire “The Death of Stalin” opened in America on March 9 after having already made an impression at the BAFTAs, where it was nominated for Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay. But its mastermind, director and co-writer Armando Iannucci, is already familiar to the American awards scene. Can he go from the Oscars to the Emmys and back to the Oscars again?
Iannucci was known in the UK for series like “I’m Alan Partridge” and “The Thick of It” before making his first big impact across the pond. In 2009 he spun off “The Thick of It” into the political satire “In the Loop,” which explored the behind-the-scenes bumbling that led the Us and UK into an ill-advised war in the Middle East. That film earned Iannucci and his co-writers an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and it led him full-time into the world of American political...
Iannucci was known in the UK for series like “I’m Alan Partridge” and “The Thick of It” before making his first big impact across the pond. In 2009 he spun off “The Thick of It” into the political satire “In the Loop,” which explored the behind-the-scenes bumbling that led the Us and UK into an ill-advised war in the Middle East. That film earned Iannucci and his co-writers an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, and it led him full-time into the world of American political...
- 3/10/2018
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
When you watch The Looming Tower, Hulu's ambitious 10-episode adaptation of Lawrence Wright's 2006 book on the intelligence failures and international terrorist conspiracy that led up to 9/11, you'll find yourself keying in to a number of the show's moving parts and characters. There's the globetrotting narrative, with the series whisking viewers from New York and D.C. to terrorist cells in Eastern Europe, training camps near Pakistan's border and bombed embassies in Nairobi. There's the volatile F.B.I. hotshot John O'Neill and the head of the C.I.A.'s Al Qaeda unit Martin Schmidt,...
- 3/8/2018
- Rollingstone.com
RuPaul is apologizing for some comments he made in a recent interview about why he wouldn’t allow a transgender drag performer to compete in his reality show, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. The drag icon, 57, recently spoke with The Guardian and made some remarks that did not please the trans community. RuPaul made the comments when discussing...
- 3/6/2018
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
2017-03-30T07:33:07-07:00Katy Perry to Headline Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury has announced its first swath of artists for this year’s festival at Worthy Farm from 21-25 June, with 83 acts confirmed in addition to the three headliners, Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Ed Sheeran.
Joining the headliners are a selection of pop and indie royalty – Katy Perry makes her Glastonbury debut, and Barry Gibb is taking the Sunday teatime “legend” slot that drew huge crowds for Dolly Parton in 2014 and Lionel Richie in 2015.
He is not the only legend on this year’s bill. The Jacksons make their Glastonbury debut, Chic return, country star Kris Kristofferson will appear, and the Can Project – featuring original Can members Irmin Schmidt and Malcolm Mooney – will be joined by special guests including Thurston Moore.
Lorde, whose second album is due this spring, had teased an appearance during a Radio 1 interview, saying...
Glastonbury has announced its first swath of artists for this year’s festival at Worthy Farm from 21-25 June, with 83 acts confirmed in addition to the three headliners, Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Ed Sheeran.
Joining the headliners are a selection of pop and indie royalty – Katy Perry makes her Glastonbury debut, and Barry Gibb is taking the Sunday teatime “legend” slot that drew huge crowds for Dolly Parton in 2014 and Lionel Richie in 2015.
He is not the only legend on this year’s bill. The Jacksons make their Glastonbury debut, Chic return, country star Kris Kristofferson will appear, and the Can Project – featuring original Can members Irmin Schmidt and Malcolm Mooney – will be joined by special guests including Thurston Moore.
Lorde, whose second album is due this spring, had teased an appearance during a Radio 1 interview, saying...
- 3/30/2017
- by Evan Gillespie
- Yidio
Twenty years after it was first staged, Tracy Letts’s play Bug has much to say about the character and tone of our times. Its fatalism and frantic pitch, brilliantly translated to the screen by film director William Friedkin in 2006, captures widely felt personal and political anxieties in a culture that craves comfort but fears control.In connecting a symbol of surveillance with a synonym for illness, the title of Letts’s play neatly points to a pathology: rabid suspicion towards the state, epitomized in extreme terms in the character of Peter Evans—a paranoid schizophrenic and conspiracy theorist. Neither justifying nor condemning the moral and legal implications of surveillance, Bug stands out among recent work dealing with the subject, in leaving open to question the very fact that its main characters, Peter and Agnes, are being watched by unseen parties. The rising, feverish anxiety of Letts’s work is...
- 12/13/2016
- MUBI
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Hey punk fans, it's time to revisit this cult classic. Described as "the definitive [film] of the punk phenomenon", the punk rock drama Sid and Nancy is getting a re-release this year for its 30th anniversary. The film stars Gary Oldman as Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious, who tried to start a solo career after the band broke up in 1978. The film profiles his turbulent and destructive romance with his girlfriend Nancy Spungen, played by Chloe Webb, a heroin-addicted groupie who was found dead months later. The cast includes David Hayman, Andrew Schofield, Xander Berkeley, and Courtney Love in a small role. It's always cool to see great films return to theaters for a restored re-release. Have fun. Here's the new 30th anniversary re-release trailer for Alex Cox's Sid and Nancy, from The Guardian: Morbid biographical story of Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman...
- 7/25/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
French Connection director highlights “challenging time” for the future of world cinema.
Us director William Friedkin is to deliver the Cinema Masterclass at the 69th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22). Filmmakers to previously give the masterclass include Martin Scorsese, Nanni Moretti, Wong Kar-wai, Quentin Tarantino, Marco Bellocchio, Philip Kaufman and Jacques Audiard.
Accepting the invitation, the director of The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973) said: “This is the most challenging time I can recall for the future of world cinema. There are massive changes coming for production and exhibition, more than I’ve experienced in over 50 years.”
He added it would be “an honour to share my thoughts and ideas with an audience at Cannes, the home of world cinema.”
Friedkin, who won the Oscar for Best Director in 1972 for The French Connection, is also known for features including Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in La (1985), Rampage (1987), The Guardian (1990), Bug (2006) and Killer Joe (2011).
The Masterclass, which...
Us director William Friedkin is to deliver the Cinema Masterclass at the 69th Cannes Film Festival (May 11-22). Filmmakers to previously give the masterclass include Martin Scorsese, Nanni Moretti, Wong Kar-wai, Quentin Tarantino, Marco Bellocchio, Philip Kaufman and Jacques Audiard.
Accepting the invitation, the director of The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973) said: “This is the most challenging time I can recall for the future of world cinema. There are massive changes coming for production and exhibition, more than I’ve experienced in over 50 years.”
He added it would be “an honour to share my thoughts and ideas with an audience at Cannes, the home of world cinema.”
Friedkin, who won the Oscar for Best Director in 1972 for The French Connection, is also known for features including Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in La (1985), Rampage (1987), The Guardian (1990), Bug (2006) and Killer Joe (2011).
The Masterclass, which...
- 4/4/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
January 19th has some really unique home entertainment releases that should make fans of cult cinema happier than Jason Voorhees on the first day of summer camp. Scream Factory is debuting William Friedkin’s The Guardian on Blu-ray this week and one of my personal favorites from my childhood, The Ice Pirates, is also getting an HD overhaul, courtesy of the Warner Archive Collection.
Vinegar Syndrome is also keeping themselves busy with a duo of cult classic releases, Nightmare Weekend and Luther the Geek, and for those of you sci-fi TV fans, season one of 12 Monkeys as well as the final season of Continuum arrive on Blu and DVD this Tuesday as well.
The Guardian (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
William Friedkin, the Academy Award winning director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults. A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child.
Vinegar Syndrome is also keeping themselves busy with a duo of cult classic releases, Nightmare Weekend and Luther the Geek, and for those of you sci-fi TV fans, season one of 12 Monkeys as well as the final season of Continuum arrive on Blu and DVD this Tuesday as well.
The Guardian (Scream Factory, Blu-ray)
William Friedkin, the Academy Award winning director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults. A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child.
- 1/19/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
A babysitter has evil intentions in William Friedkin's The Guardian, making its Blu-ray debut tomorrow from Scream Factory. Ahead of the movie's new home media release, we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away.
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Guardian.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject "The Guardian Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on January 24th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
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The Guardian Blu-ray: "William Friedkin, the Academy Award®-winning* director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults.
A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child.
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Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Guardian.
How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject "The Guardian Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.
Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on January 24th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.
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The Guardian Blu-ray: "William Friedkin, the Academy Award®-winning* director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults.
A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child.
- 1/18/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Years after making an indelible mark on the horror genre with The Exorcist, William Friedkin returned to the scarier side of cinema in 1990 with The Guardian. Ahead of its January 19th release, we have high-definition clips and a trailer teasing Scream Factory's Blu-ray debut of the film.
The Guardian Blu-ray: "William Friedkin, the Academy Award®-winning* director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults.
A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child. It seems like a fairy tale, until ancient, supernatural forces turn the couples dream into a nightmare.
In his first horror film since The Exorcist, Oscar®-winning* director William Friedkin spins a terrifying tale based on every parent's worst fear. Jenny Seagrove (Local Hero) portrays the enchanting guardian who enters the home of new parents Dwier Brown (Red Dragon) and Carey Lowell (Licence to Kill...
The Guardian Blu-ray: "William Friedkin, the Academy Award®-winning* director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults.
A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child. It seems like a fairy tale, until ancient, supernatural forces turn the couples dream into a nightmare.
In his first horror film since The Exorcist, Oscar®-winning* director William Friedkin spins a terrifying tale based on every parent's worst fear. Jenny Seagrove (Local Hero) portrays the enchanting guardian who enters the home of new parents Dwier Brown (Red Dragon) and Carey Lowell (Licence to Kill...
- 1/15/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
In anticipation of its upcoming Us Blu-ray debut, Shock goes to bat for one of iconic American filmmaker William Friedkin’s most interesting films, 1990’s The Guardian. As every serious horror fan who both lived through it and has studied the period from the distance of time knows, as the 1980’s wound down and leaked into…
The post In Defense of William Friedkin’s The Guardian appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post In Defense of William Friedkin’s The Guardian appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 12/28/2015
- by Chris Alexander
- shocktillyoudrop.com
William Friedkin’s The Guardian Returns with a Bluray Release from Scream Factory
Scream Factory™ Presents Highly-Anticipated Supernatural Horror Cult Classic from the Director of The Exorcist A Film by William Friedkin The Guardian Starring Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell William Friedkin, the Academy Award® winning director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults. A handsome young couple finds the perfect ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
Scream Factory™ Presents Highly-Anticipated Supernatural Horror Cult Classic from the Director of The Exorcist A Film by William Friedkin The Guardian Starring Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell William Friedkin, the Academy Award® winning director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults. A handsome young couple finds the perfect ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
- 12/15/2015
- by Horrornews.net
- Horror News
Years after making an indelible mark on the horror genre with The Exorcist, William Friedkin returned to the scarier side of cinema with The Guardian. Ahead of the 1990 film's January 19th Blu-ray debut from Scream Factory, we have the release's extensive list of bonus features and a look at the cover art:
Press Release: William Friedkin, the Academy Award® winning director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults. A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child. It seems like a fairy tale, until ancient, supernatural forces turn the couples dream into a nightmare. On January 19, 2016, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Guardian, arriving for the first time on Blu-ray™. A film by William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The Hunted), the supernatural thriller stars Jenny Seagrove (Local Hero), Dwier Broan (Red Dragon) and Carey Lowell (License to Kill).
A must-have for loyal fans,...
Press Release: William Friedkin, the Academy Award® winning director of The Exorcist, delivers a new kind of fairy tale for adults. A handsome young couple finds the perfect live-in babysitter to look after their newborn child. It seems like a fairy tale, until ancient, supernatural forces turn the couples dream into a nightmare. On January 19, 2016, Scream Factory™ is proud to present The Guardian, arriving for the first time on Blu-ray™. A film by William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The Hunted), the supernatural thriller stars Jenny Seagrove (Local Hero), Dwier Broan (Red Dragon) and Carey Lowell (License to Kill).
A must-have for loyal fans,...
- 12/3/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Scream Factory brings underrated Friedkin gem The Guardian to Blu-ray. Though he’s known primarily ’round these parts as “the guy who directed The Exorcist”, William Friedkin remains one of the greatest genre filmmakers in history. His many masterpieces are often buried under the weight of his signature 1973 satanic shocker, but the power of films…
The post William Friedkin’s The Guardian Coming To Blu-ray appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post William Friedkin’s The Guardian Coming To Blu-ray appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 12/3/2015
- by Chris Alexander
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Hollow’s Eve: Hardy’s Creature Feature Debut Has Superficial Roots
It was announced that Irish director Corin Hardy would be heading up The Crow reboot for Relativity preceding the premiere of his directorial debut The Hallow at the Sundance Film Festival, which was presumably good marketing for a film with just enough winning elements to satisfy genre aficionados. A simple, arguably derivative premise lays the eerie groundwork for what promises to be a memorable entry in a the struggling vein of modern backwoods horror narratives, though its bid to unify science with the supernatural is ultimately unsatisfactory, with a denouement that loses traction well before the predictable third act reaches an inevitable stride. Still, Hardy proves to be a devotee of vintage creature feature animations, utilizing tricks from a bygone era of special effects, acknowledging famous influences Stan Winston, Dick Smith and Ray Harryhausen in the end-credits. If only...
It was announced that Irish director Corin Hardy would be heading up The Crow reboot for Relativity preceding the premiere of his directorial debut The Hallow at the Sundance Film Festival, which was presumably good marketing for a film with just enough winning elements to satisfy genre aficionados. A simple, arguably derivative premise lays the eerie groundwork for what promises to be a memorable entry in a the struggling vein of modern backwoods horror narratives, though its bid to unify science with the supernatural is ultimately unsatisfactory, with a denouement that loses traction well before the predictable third act reaches an inevitable stride. Still, Hardy proves to be a devotee of vintage creature feature animations, utilizing tricks from a bygone era of special effects, acknowledging famous influences Stan Winston, Dick Smith and Ray Harryhausen in the end-credits. If only...
- 11/5/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
With Halloween right around the corner, the folks at Scream Factory already have their sights set on the new year with January Blu-ray release dates set for Wes Craven's The Serpent and the Rainbow, William Friedkin's The Guardian, and more.
Scream Factory will release The Serpent and the Rainbow Collector's Edition Blu-ray (originally scheduled to come out this past summer) on January 26th. The company has also slated The Guardian Blu-ray for a January 19th debut and set a January 26th release date for the James Spader-starring Jack's Back Blu-ray / DVD.
Also coming out on Blu-ray in January from the diligent distributor is 1989's Sonny Boy (January 26th) and a double feature of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior (January 5th).
Due out next spring is the Blu-ray debut of 2000's Cherry Falls. Official details and a look at the...
Scream Factory will release The Serpent and the Rainbow Collector's Edition Blu-ray (originally scheduled to come out this past summer) on January 26th. The company has also slated The Guardian Blu-ray for a January 19th debut and set a January 26th release date for the James Spader-starring Jack's Back Blu-ray / DVD.
Also coming out on Blu-ray in January from the diligent distributor is 1989's Sonny Boy (January 26th) and a double feature of The House Where Evil Dwells and Ghost Warrior (January 5th).
Due out next spring is the Blu-ray debut of 2000's Cherry Falls. Official details and a look at the...
- 10/15/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Avengers, Batman, Spider-Man… Superhero movies might be some of the most successful ever to hit the box office - and are not without critical acclaim - but try telling that to William Friedkin.
The iconic filmmaker behind The French Connection and The Exorcist claims that the popularity of such franchises has seen cinema take a turn for the worse, The Guardian reports.
Speaking at the Champs-Elysees Film Festival in Paris, he said: "Films used to be rooted in gravity. They were about real people doing real things."
He added: "Today, cinema is all about Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Avengers, Hunger Games in America: all kinds of stuff that I have no interest in seeing at all."
Friedkin recently directed the second season of True Detective alongside Fast & Furious 6's Justin Lin.
Speaking about working on TV, he said: "You develop character at a greater length and the story is...
The iconic filmmaker behind The French Connection and The Exorcist claims that the popularity of such franchises has seen cinema take a turn for the worse, The Guardian reports.
Speaking at the Champs-Elysees Film Festival in Paris, he said: "Films used to be rooted in gravity. They were about real people doing real things."
He added: "Today, cinema is all about Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Avengers, Hunger Games in America: all kinds of stuff that I have no interest in seeing at all."
Friedkin recently directed the second season of True Detective alongside Fast & Furious 6's Justin Lin.
Speaking about working on TV, he said: "You develop character at a greater length and the story is...
- 6/17/2015
- Digital Spy
Mark Kermode on modern film criticism, critics of his own work, Michael Bay, Jason Statham and male oil wrestling.
The last time we spoke to Mark Kermode, he'd just launched his book about the state of movie criticism, Hatchet Job. Since then, he's embarked on a nationwide tour with the book, and undertaken dozens of Q&As with audiences about it.
And that, as Hatchet Job continues to thrive in paperback, is where we started...
I spoke to you just as you launched Hatchet Job, and in your words, since then you've "toured the arse off it". You've done Q&As with the people who've read your book, and who you wrote it for.
So what have you learned about what audiences feel regarding film critics, and where they sit in the world?
I think the most important thing was when I started writing it, I was, as you know,...
The last time we spoke to Mark Kermode, he'd just launched his book about the state of movie criticism, Hatchet Job. Since then, he's embarked on a nationwide tour with the book, and undertaken dozens of Q&As with audiences about it.
And that, as Hatchet Job continues to thrive in paperback, is where we started...
I spoke to you just as you launched Hatchet Job, and in your words, since then you've "toured the arse off it". You've done Q&As with the people who've read your book, and who you wrote it for.
So what have you learned about what audiences feel regarding film critics, and where they sit in the world?
I think the most important thing was when I started writing it, I was, as you know,...
- 1/28/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
The team behind the now defunct Fantastic Films Weekend (Ffw) has reformed and regrouped as Fantastiq and will present the first edition from August 9-11 at Derby Quad in the UK.
Cinema Retro will be present in the form of Hammer’s quirky horror tale Vampire Circus, which we are sponsoring. The film’s director Robert Young will be present to talk about the 1973 film, one of the run of off-kilter shockers that Hammer produced in the Seventies.
Director Robert Young
The director of Fantastiq is Tony Earnshaw, formerly Head of Film Programming at the National Media Museum in Bradford where he launched the Ffw in 2002. He said: “I’m genuinely delighted to be able to resurrect my pet project, albeit under a new name. And I’m thrilled to welcome Cinema Retro on board as a key supporter along with We Belong Dead magazine and publisher Spectral Press, which...
Cinema Retro will be present in the form of Hammer’s quirky horror tale Vampire Circus, which we are sponsoring. The film’s director Robert Young will be present to talk about the 1973 film, one of the run of off-kilter shockers that Hammer produced in the Seventies.
Director Robert Young
The director of Fantastiq is Tony Earnshaw, formerly Head of Film Programming at the National Media Museum in Bradford where he launched the Ffw in 2002. He said: “I’m genuinely delighted to be able to resurrect my pet project, albeit under a new name. And I’m thrilled to welcome Cinema Retro on board as a key supporter along with We Belong Dead magazine and publisher Spectral Press, which...
- 7/10/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
The Guardian film team predict who will win what at this year's ceremony
On Friday Xan Brooks assessed the field of this year's Bafta contenders and found it "a hazy huddle of frontrunners, all seemingly bobbing back and forth in front of the finish line".
Lincoln is first among equals with 10 nominations. Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Skyfall and Argo all crowd in behind.
The awards momentum has swung from Life of Pi to Lincoln to Argo over the past few weeks. In a competition this close there could be upsets. There should be tears. There must be winners.
So here's what we think will take home scary award masks this year. We've listed all the nominees. Our predicted winners are in bold.
Best picture
Argo
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Best British film
Anna Karenina
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Seven Psychopaths
Skyfall
Best director
Ben Affleck,...
On Friday Xan Brooks assessed the field of this year's Bafta contenders and found it "a hazy huddle of frontrunners, all seemingly bobbing back and forth in front of the finish line".
Lincoln is first among equals with 10 nominations. Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Skyfall and Argo all crowd in behind.
The awards momentum has swung from Life of Pi to Lincoln to Argo over the past few weeks. In a competition this close there could be upsets. There should be tears. There must be winners.
So here's what we think will take home scary award masks this year. We've listed all the nominees. Our predicted winners are in bold.
Best picture
Argo
Les Misérables
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Best British film
Anna Karenina
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Misérables
Seven Psychopaths
Skyfall
Best director
Ben Affleck,...
- 2/10/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
The filmography of celebrated director William Friedkin is a colorful one indeed. First-year film buffs will, of course, point to classics like The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973), while the more seasoned of the celluloid-obsessed will rattle off titles like Sorcerer (1971), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Blue Chips (1994), Rules of Engagement (2000), and Bug (2006) -- and the hardcore completists will also cite The Boys in the Band (1970), The Brink's Job (1978), Rampage (1987), and The Hunted (2003). Hell, I even saw the guy's 1990 arbor-related horror flick The Guardian! Like, love or hate the individual films, but there's no denying that, as a whole, they represent a rather eclectic storyteller. Most directors find a...
- 9/11/2012
- Screen Anarchy
After making a big splash last year with his unnerving indie "Marth Marcy May Marlene," director Sean Durkin is beginning to line up an impressive slate of projects. While reports that he was going to tackle a TV remake of "The Exorcist" ultimately seem to be erroneous (and highly denounced by William Friedkin), he since nabbed the gig helming the long-developing Janis Joplin biopic "Janis." But he isn't done with the small screen, and will tackle a show that will take him across the pond. The Guardian reports that Durkin will get behind the camera for the four-part TV drama "Southcliffe." Penned by Tony Grisoni, the story will center on the aftermath of a number of shootings that all take place in one day, and as told from the perspective of a journalist who grew up in the small town where they occur. Large scale, layered crime tales are nothing new to Grisoni,...
- 8/23/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The decent opening weekend for the Nc-17 "Killer Joe" should be celebrated for a number of reasons, but perhaps most notably, it marks something of a comeback for director William Friedkin. The helmer was, for a brief period in the 1970s, the most powerful filmmaker in Hollywood, but a series of critical and commercial flops after "The Exorcist" saw his stock drop quickly, and while there were a few quiet gems, the quality of his work tended to be closer to sub-"Basic Instinct" erotic thriller "Jade" (which Friedkin has said is one of his favorite of his films, curiously), or tree-rape horror "The Guardian," than to his breakout films. But 2007's "Bug," with Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon, based on the Tracy Letts play, was a serious return to form, and that has continued along with "Killer Joe," another collaboration with the playwright that boasts a starry cast and a dark,...
- 7/30/2012
- by The Playlist Staff
- The Playlist
Matthew McConaughey has said that romantic comedies saved his career. The Magic Mike actor told The Guardian that accepting a string of rom-com roles helped him find acting work again. "Truth is, I was in a colder part of my career at the time," he said. "I was coming off, what was it, U-571? I had to try different things. I did action movies, crime; and then I did Wedding Planner. "I thought, let's go see what it's like to just be light; never done that before. And then, s**t... it made a whole bunch of money, and they came back and offered me more." Despite taking on darker projects recently - such as his latest role in William Friedkin's Killer Joe - McConaughey was quick to defend the romantic comedy genre. "Rom-coms are hard in a lot of ways," he said. "It's easy to demean (more)...
- 6/30/2012
- by By Alison Rowley
- Digital Spy
From cult director William Friedkin comes the shockingly cool, controversial and brutal black comedy, Killer Joe – which is UK cinemas from today courtesy of eOne.
The Problem: Small-time drug dealer Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) has had his entire stash stolen by his very own mother and he needs cash fast.
The Solution: His mother’s $50,000 life insurance policy would more than cover it.
The Problem: She needs to be dead.
The Solution: Enter Detective Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a charming, sultry Southern gentleman who also happens to be a deadly contract killer. He’ll happily dispose of an unwanted family member – if you pay him enough.
Chris agrees to offer up his sweet, attractive younger sister, Dottie (Juno Temple), as sexual collateral in exchange for Joe’s services until he receives the insurance money and it all seems so simple.
It turns out to be anything but.
Dottie isn’t...
The Problem: Small-time drug dealer Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch) has had his entire stash stolen by his very own mother and he needs cash fast.
The Solution: His mother’s $50,000 life insurance policy would more than cover it.
The Problem: She needs to be dead.
The Solution: Enter Detective Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a charming, sultry Southern gentleman who also happens to be a deadly contract killer. He’ll happily dispose of an unwanted family member – if you pay him enough.
Chris agrees to offer up his sweet, attractive younger sister, Dottie (Juno Temple), as sexual collateral in exchange for Joe’s services until he receives the insurance money and it all seems so simple.
It turns out to be anything but.
Dottie isn’t...
- 6/29/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
In a film as filled to the brim with deliciously nasty characters and dialogue as “Killer Joe,” it’s been frustrating to see it marketed down through snatches of seemingly generic action beats and lines in the trailer. Luckily though, two new clips have appeared to give a better sense of the film’s tone overall, as well as a nice look at the scene-chewing from its excellent cast.
The first clip runs two minutes, and revolves around the Smith family as they let a failed insurance policy payout raise tensions even more, mostly from father Ansel (Thomas Haden Church) toward his son Chris (Emile Hirsch). Gina Gershon and Juno Temple portray the other members of the family, and if everything seems a bit arch and blackly comic, then the second clip with Temple confirms as much. As Temple cheerily explains her matricidal support later to Matthew McConaughey’s Killer Joe,...
The first clip runs two minutes, and revolves around the Smith family as they let a failed insurance policy payout raise tensions even more, mostly from father Ansel (Thomas Haden Church) toward his son Chris (Emile Hirsch). Gina Gershon and Juno Temple portray the other members of the family, and if everything seems a bit arch and blackly comic, then the second clip with Temple confirms as much. As Temple cheerily explains her matricidal support later to Matthew McConaughey’s Killer Joe,...
- 6/28/2012
- by Charlie Schmidlin
- The Playlist
"Donnie Brasco" was like no mob movie that came before it. Based on a true story, that of FBI undercover agent Joseph D. Pistone, who spent years infiltrating New York's Bonnano crime family, its mobsters were decidedly unglamorous petty criminals, guys who had to resort to breaking into parking meters to make their monthly nut. It was directed by an Englishman best known for a Hugh Grant romantic comedy. Its hero, who never fires a gun except on the FBI firing range, was played by Johnny Depp (then best known for quirky, vulnerable man-child roles) and his mentor was played by Al Pacino (as a tired, rumpled mafioso, about a million miles from his Michael Corleone or Tony Montana). That it worked at all was miraculous, especially considering how different it might have been with its initial star and director. The result was a modern classic that made a grown-up...
- 2/28/2012
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Marking the big screen debut of television director Nick Murphy, “The Awakening” is an old fashioned British ghost story following the usual creepy goings-on in a countryside boys’ boarding school. With a script by Murphy and veteran genre screenwriter Stephen Volk (responsible for a number of old favourites such as “Gothic”, “The Kiss” and “The Guardian”), the film attempts to add a certain emotional depth to the familiar form, along of course with a few spins and plenty of scares. The film is set in England in 1921, and opens with ghost hunter/debunker and famous author Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall, recently in “The Town”) exposing a cleverly planned séance as a hoax. Being known as the best in the business, she is reluctantly invited by a teacher called Robert Mallory (Dominic West, “The Wire”) to visit his boarding school in the countryside, where the boys are living in fear of...
- 10/31/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
The Exorcist has been voted the scariest horror movie of all time by Digital Spy readers. The poll, run to coincide with Halloween, saw thousands of readers vote on their most shocking scary films. William Friedkin's 1973 Oscar-winning classic The Exorcist showed its enduring appeal by taking first place with 15.5% of the vote. > Digital Spy's Top 25 scariest horror movies: In Pictures In a 2008 interview with The Guardian, The Exorcist director Friedkin explained that many viewers found themselves terrified by a sequence where Linda Blair's possessed child Regan is medically examined. "Most people say that the scariest scene in The Exorcist is the angiogram scene because it's the most realistic," he said. "It's the one people most identify with, being in a hospital - a captive (more)...
- 10/31/2011
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
★★☆☆☆ No, this is not an in-depth look at the daily running of one of Britain's top broadsheets, though that may have been more satisfying than The Guardian (1990), The Exorcist (1973) director William Friedkin's demonic take on Mary Poppins. Starring that most British of actresses Jenny Seagrove as the nanny from hell, with Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell as the young couple who unwittingly hire her to look after their baby son, this would be chiller with heavy druid overtones, ultimately fails to raise much more than a mild shiver.
Phil and Kate (Brown and Lowell) have just moved to La and, due to their demanding careers, decide to hire a nanny to look after their new born son Jake. After the young girl they decide upon mysteriously fails to turn up, they are relieved when the seemingly prefect Camilla (Seagrove) appears on their doorstep. Camilla instantly bonds with Jake and...
Phil and Kate (Brown and Lowell) have just moved to La and, due to their demanding careers, decide to hire a nanny to look after their new born son Jake. After the young girl they decide upon mysteriously fails to turn up, they are relieved when the seemingly prefect Camilla (Seagrove) appears on their doorstep. Camilla instantly bonds with Jake and...
- 10/19/2011
- by Daniel Green
- CineVue
The Guardian
Stars: Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown, Carey Lowell, Brad Hall, MIguel Ferrer | Written by Stephen Volk, Dan Greenburg | Directed by William Friedkin
Nature can be beautiful and it can be evil. Druids worshipped it as a god, making sacrifices as offerings to it so they could be in its favour. Well that’s what we are told they did anyway; at least it makes for good horror stories. The Guardian uses the idea of the Druid sacrifices as a way for obtaining immortality; the way this is done is by sacrificing babies.
When Phil and Kate have a baby they find they need a nanny to look after it. When Camilla arrives for an interview for the position she appears to be the perfect woman for the job. Upon meeting the child she appears to have a bond straight away with him and is soon hired – once she manages...
Stars: Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown, Carey Lowell, Brad Hall, MIguel Ferrer | Written by Stephen Volk, Dan Greenburg | Directed by William Friedkin
Nature can be beautiful and it can be evil. Druids worshipped it as a god, making sacrifices as offerings to it so they could be in its favour. Well that’s what we are told they did anyway; at least it makes for good horror stories. The Guardian uses the idea of the Druid sacrifices as a way for obtaining immortality; the way this is done is by sacrificing babies.
When Phil and Kate have a baby they find they need a nanny to look after it. When Camilla arrives for an interview for the position she appears to be the perfect woman for the job. Upon meeting the child she appears to have a bond straight away with him and is soon hired – once she manages...
- 10/16/2011
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
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